Statue of Helios

In Greek mythology the celestial god Helios was responsible for the movement of the sun across the sky each day, from the east to the west, as he rode across the heavens in his golden, horse-drawn chariot. He is commonly depicted as a sun-crowned young man who drives a chariot led by four winged horses across the sky.

This statue depicts Helios wearing the remnants of a crown that originally had 12 bronze rays framing his face. Traces of a flame on his left upper arm suggest that he once held a torch in his left hand. Additional evidence suggests that he was pointing out his route across the sky with his right hand. His horse-drawn chariot is represented by the figure of a horse’s head beside his left foot.

In the fourth century, Alexander the Great adopted Helios as his favorite god, likely due to the fact that he had conquered Mesopotamia, Parthia, Bactria, and northwest India (known as the “lands of the rising sun”). He favored Helios as a symbol of power and military success. Alexander the Great was sometimes portrayed In art (especially marble sculptures) as Helios. This statue of Helios, for example, features Alexander the Great’s distinctive hairstyle.

tags: symbolism, hero, social studies